Keto Food on the Go

We’ve all been there. It’s long after the time when most people eat lunch and your stomach is making noises that you pray nobody else can hear. Maybe you’re at the mall and you’ve lost all track of time or perhaps you’re getting together with friends or family and they all want to go out and grab some food. It doesn’t matter where you are or who you’re with, it’s not that difficult to find some good keto food on the go.

Of course, it’s always best if you’re able to plan ahead and pack keto snacks when you’re going to be away from home, but let’s face it, our lives are hectic and most of the time, what we’re going to eat later is the last thing on our minds.

So what do you do when you’re not at home, starving, and the only things around you are fast food restaurants or food courts? Simply follow our guide and you won’t have to worry about ruining your diet.

Your Guide to Keto Food on the Go

Don’t Stray Far From Meat, Cheese, and Vegetables – When you’re dining out, you can never be completely sure what is in your food. Some restaurants may use sauces that are high in sugar while others may bulk up their foods with additives that are full of carbs. To avoid this, you want to select the options that are as close to natural as you can get. One of the best go-to meals is a simple steak with no sauce and steamed broccoli. Bonus points if the restaurant will plop a nice pat of butter on top of the steak.

Burger, Hold the Bun – No matter what type of restaurant you’re in (well, maybe except Italian), the odds are good that they’re going to have some type of burger on the menu. Simply ask the person taking your order that you’d like your burger without the bun. Many restaurants will serve your burger wrapped in lettuce while others will give it to you as a bowl. Feel free to get creative and order your burger with different types of cheeses or guacamole. Oh, and bacon. Never forget bacon.

Avoid the Condiments– The condiments may seem harmless, but they are anything but. Do you always hear people going on and on about how good the ketchup is at chains like McDonald’s and Burger King? That’s because there is more sugar in restaurant ketchup. Don’t think that this isn’t planned. The extra sugar is placed into the ketchup to get you hooked on the taste, according to the Huffington Post, and to ensure that your cravings keep you coming back for more. A single tablespoon of McDonald’s ketchup contains 4g of sugar, but when was the last time you only used one tablespoon of ketchup at a restaurant? It’s not uncommon to consume 20g of sugar or more from the condiments alone. Instead of ketchup, choose mustard or high-fat options such as ranch or bleu cheese dressings.

Avoid Breaded Items – One of the biggest issues with finding good keto food on the go is the fact that restaurants love to cook their foods in breading. Menus are filled with mozzarella sticks, onion rings, chicken strips. I’ve even seen green beans breaded and fried. If you’re craving some of these types of foods, opt for chicken wings and ask for them naked. They’ll still be fried but won’t have any of the breading.

Fast Keto Food on the Go

Since fast food is often the most convenient option when you’re not at home, we’ve created a list highlighting your best options at each restaurant.